Fastener Clip Assembly with Pinch-Removable Cap

ABSTRACT

A fastener clip assembly including a cap configured to be secured to a chassis through a chassis slot. The cap comprises one or more wings configured to collapse upon inserting the cap into the chassis slot and to expand upon full insertion. The cap is further configured to be secured to the chassis slot at least upon the wings expanding into the chassis slot. The clip futher includes a pin configured to be secured to a body panel. The pin is configured to be secured to the cap. The cap comprises one or more releases. The releases are accessible from a side of the cap configured to receive the pin. The releases are configured, upon release, to collapse the one or more wings. The cap is configured to be extracted from the chassis based at least upon releasing the releases.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority Application Continuity Application Filing Docket NumberType/Relation No. Date No. Title This preset Claims benefit 62/207,911Aug. 20, P49 Adaptive Sealing nonprovisional of provisional 2015Fastener patent application This present Claims benefit 62/263,869 Mar.14, P49-B Adaptive Sealing nonprovisional of provisional 2016 Fastenerpatent application This present Claims benefit 62/298,495 Feb. 23, P49-DAdaptive Sealing nonprovisional of provisional 2016 Fastener patentapplication This present Continuation 14/990,792 Jan. 8, P49-C One StepAssembly nonprovisional in part of 2016 Fastener Clip patent application14/990,792 Claims benefit 62/207,911 Aug. 20, P49 Adaptive Sealing ofprovisional 2015 Fastener 14/990,792 Claims benefit 62/263,869 Mar. 14,P49-B Adaptive Sealing of provisional 2016 Fastener

The above-referenced patents and/or patent applications are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

The subject matter of the present application is related to the subjectmatter of the following commonly assigned, co-pending applications,which are being filed on the same date as the present application: USNonprovisional Patent Application entitled “Fastener Clip Assembly withRemovable Seal” and naming as inventors Daniel James Dickinson, MichaelTirrell, and John Clasen and US Nonprovisional Patent Applicationentitled “Fastener Clip Assembly with Funnel Guide” and naming asinventors Daniel James Dickinson, Michael Tirrell, and John Clasen.

The above referenced patents and/or patent applications are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to devices for fastening objects, andmore particularly to a fastener clip assembly for insertion into anengagement structure, such as a vehicle chassis, a hollow substrate, awall, a plate, or any suitable surface.

A number of devices and fasteners are currently available for fasteningpanels, such as body panels and automobile interior trim piece panels,to the chassis of a vehicle. As used herein, a body panel refers to, forexample, any interior or exterior body panel on a vehicle, a plasticinterior trim piece, door panel, headliner or any interior trim piece.Additionally, the panel may be any suitable exterior body panel, such asa fender, bumper, quarter panel or door panel. The chassis of thevehicle may include any substrate, plate, body panel, structuralframework, chassis component or subcomponent, wall or any suitableobject.

These conventional fastener devices provide approximately relativelyequal levels of insertion and extraction force. These body panels oftenattach to the chassis of an automobile with a relatively high level ofinsertion force while providing a relatively low level of extractionforce.

Fastener clips, such as two piece fasteners (multi-piece), are known forattaching body panels to an automobile chassis. Two-piece fasteners areused so that if the panels are removed after original installation, suchas to service the components in the door, they may be pulled apart sothat one portion remains attached to the sheet metal while the otherremains attached to the trim panel. The two pieces may also bereattached after separation. However, two piece fasteners requiremanufacturing of multiple pieces and labor intensive assembly of the twopieces and thus are relatively expensive.

One piece fasteners are typically less expensive than two or multi piecefasteners. One piece fasteners have a base to attach to a body panel anda post attached to the base and wings attached at least to the top ofthe post at a tip of the fastener for fastening to a frame slot.However, if the frame slot and the fastener are misaligned then theforces on the wings are unequal since the wing closest to the slot edgewill experience higher wing compression while the other wing will haveinsufficient springing force to engage the slot. As the clip is forcedinto the slot, such high forces on one wing may cause the wing to breakoff thus rendering the fastener incapable of fastening the body panel tothe frame. Worse, the broken, damaged or weakened wing can causedetachment of the body panel or contribute to rattles.

The wings of conventional fasteners have a sharp, unsmooth groove toengage the edge of the frame slot. When the clip is removed however, thesharp edges of the frame slot cut into the softer plastic and cut thegroove. During manufacture, the slots are typically formed in the frameof the vehicle, such as in an inner roof or door sheet metal structure,by punching the sheet metal. As the punch enters the sheet metal, theouter part of the sheet metal is pushed toward the inside and a metalpuncture or ridge is formed on the inside of the sheet metal. Theresulting slot edge on the outer part of the slot is relatively smooth;however the inner part of the slot edge is sharp and rough. Upon removalof the fastener clip, the sharp edges of the frame cut off the groove sothat the clip may not be reinserted and reusable.

If the slot is off-center or if the sheet metal varies in thickness orif tolerances in production of the slot in the vehicle chassis or in thetrim-piece exist, for example, then engagement of one portion of thehole in the chassis with one of the wings may not provide suitablefrictional engagement. Twisting of the body panel will be likely moreprevalent because less than all contact points are actually made withthe slot of the vehicle chassis. As a result, conventional single piecefasteners do not self-align themselves when the fastener and the bodypanel are misaligned, and are prone to wing breakage such that thefastener cannot be re-attached.

Conventional fasteners typically do not adequately secure the panel tothe vehicle chassis having variations in slot size and location or sheetmetal with different curvature or thicknesses throughout. Conventionalsingle piece fasteners do not self-align themselves when the fastenerand the body panel are misaligned, and are prone to wing breakage suchthat the fastener cannot be re-attached. Also, conventional fastenersare not suitable when subjected to a variety of environmentalconditions, such as in the presence of vibration at various levels ofamplitude and frequency. For example, conventional fasteners of thistype typically do not prevent or minimize the amount of buzzing,rattling or any other type of noise that may cause attention to theoccupants of the vehicle or otherwise weaken the attachment.Conventional fasteners do not adequately accommodate various levels ofproduction tolerances, such as various dimensions amongst, for example,the body panels as well as the vehicle chassis. Thus, conventionalfastener devices typically do not self-align nor adequately fasten to arange of sheet metal thicknesses and do not minimize or eliminatebuzzing and rattling and do not sufficiently accommodate variations inproduction tolerances. As a result, wear, squeaks, rattles, buzzing,corrosion and loss of elasticity and loss of sealing may result,especially after years of vehicle operation and exposure to vibration,heat, humidity, and other environmental conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent uponreading the detailed description and upon reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a fastener clip assembly, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is an alternative exploded view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is another alternative exploded view of a fastener clip, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of a fastener clip, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is yet another perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an assembled fastener clip, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an assembled fastener clip, inaccordance with some embodiments.

While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternativeforms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in thedrawings and the accompanying detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are notintended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments. Thisdisclosure is instead intended to cover all modifications, equivalents,and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention asdefined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments, a fastener for fastening two automotive partscomprises two main pieces: a cap or grommet and a pin retainer. In someembodiments, the two-piece assembly may be configured to retain varioustrim panels (such as door pads, side skirts, pillars, etc.) to a carchassis.

The pin may include a head portion and a post extending from the headportion. The cap may include a cap lead-in portion, a funnel, and atleast two wings configured to retain the cap into the cap chassis.During service, the cap may remain in the car chassis while the trimpanel and pin retainer are removed. In some embodiments, the cap may beconfigured to be removable. For example, the lead-in portion may bepinchable, such that pinching the lead-in portion can collapse the wingsand allow the removal of the cap.

The cap contains a self-centering funnel feature for directing the pinretainer toward the center of grommet in cases where the pin is locatedoff center from the grommet. The funnel may be part of, or formed as apart of, the cap. In alternative embodiments, the funnel may be separatepiece configured to attach to the cap. The funnel may have any suitableshape such as a dome, parabola, conical or any other suitable shape toallow the lead-in portion to enter the cap. Among other advantages, theself-centering funnel feature allows any offset pin retainer to easilylocate, center, and then engage into the grommet during reassembly ofthe trim panel, for example.

In some embodiments, the pin comprises a pin head at one end of the pinand a head portion on the end opposite the pin head, where the headportion is configured to removably couple to a body panel, for example.The pin may also comprise a seal, which includes a central hub forinsertion over the pin head, a sealing flange coupled to the centralhub, with the sealing flange being adjacent to the head portion. Theseal may be configured to couple to the pin or the seal may be formed aspart of the pin. The seal also comprises an umbrella that is connectedto and supported by the sealing flange. The umbrella may be configuredto substantially seal against the chassis slot, to which the cap isattached, when the pin is attached to the cap.

In embodiments where the seal is manufactured separately from the pin,the seal may not require the more complicated and process-intensiveformation of the seal on the pin or cap. The seal may be separately madeby, for example, by injection molding and then inserted and coupled tothe pin. Such a process may avoid forming the cap and then forming theseal on the cap, which may require special jigs and molds. Instead, theseal may be made independent of the manufacturing of the cap or pin.Further, the umbrella seal may have a radius flaring outwardly from aperimeter of the sealing flange such that the umbrella seal compensatesfor any non-uniformities in a chassis slot. Since the umbrella seal hasa much greater area and is more flexible than prior seals, the bodypanel, such as the door panel is better sealed (compared to the sealingcap) from any water or dirt that may enter from the chassis or sheetmetal side. As such, a substantial portion of the surface of theumbrella seals the chassis or door frame metal.

In some embodiments, the cap comprises a head portion, a post extendingfrom the head portion, and a lead-in section extending from the post atan end opposite from the head portion. At least two wings extend betweenthe head portion and the lead-in section. The at least two wingscomprise an engagement region having a smooth depressed portion. Forexample, the engagement region is configured to facilitate detaching andre-attaching the fastener clip to a slot in a frame. The engagementregions include a depressed portion configured to adapt to variations ormovement of a slot.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a fastener clip assembly, in accordancewith some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the fastener clip assembly comprises cap/grommet1100 and pin/pin retainer 1200. Pin 1200 is configured to engage andsecure itself into an opening at the bottom of cap 1100.

In some embodiments, the two-piece assembly may be configured to retainvarious trim panels (such as panel 1400) to a car chassis (such aschassis 1500). Cap 1100 may be configured to attach to a slot in chassis1500, and pin 1200 is configured to attach to panel 1400. In someembodiments, chassis 1500 may be attached to panel 1400 based at leastupon pin 1200 being configured to attach to cap 1100.

In some embodiments, seal component 1300 is configured to attach overpin 1200 and to form a seal against chassis surface 1500 when the pin isattached to the cap. In some embodiments, forming a seal against chassissurface 1500 prevents water, dirt, and other debris from enteringthrough the chassis slot.

In some embodiments, cap 1100 may also include a funnel facing towardpin 1200 configured to guide the pin into the cap. For example, insituations where the pin may approach the cap off center (off the centeraxis going through the center of the cap), the funnel is configured toalign the pin with the center of the cap so that the pin may properlyengage the cap.

In some embodiments, the cap may also include a service slot configuredto facilitate pinching the cap. Accordingly, the cap may be pinchedwhile installed in the chassis slot, thereby collapsing wings that maybe securing the cap to the chassis and allowing removal of the cap fromthe chassis.

FIG. 2 is an alternative exploded view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is another alternative exploded view of a fastener clip, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of a fastener clip, in accordance with someembodiments.

The fastener clip is shown with cap 1100, seal 1300, and pin 1200.

Cap 1100 comprises two wings 40, which are configured to secure thefastener clip to a slot in a car chassis, for example. Any suitablenumber of wings 40 may be used. For example, one, two, three, four, etc.wings 40 may be used. According to one embodiment, the wings 40 may haveany suitable shape, such as, for example, at least one of: tapered,straight, curved, or any suitable shape.

The wings 40 have a size, such as a width, length, thickness and a pivotpoint 542 to provide high extraction force levels while the insertionforce level remains relatively very low. According to some embodiments,the wings 40 may be fins of varying widths. In some embodiments, thelead-in 60 may be inserted first into a slot in a chassis to ensure thatthe fastener clip self-aligns and the wings 40 evenly spring inward asthe insertion force is low relative to the extraction force. Duringextraction, the wings 40 are also in compression; such that theengagement region 50 provides a higher extraction force relative to theinsertion force. Additionally, the width of the wing 40 may beincreased, increasing the size of the engagement region and the strengthof the wing.

According to some embodiments, the engagement region 50 includes adepressed portion formed on each wing 40, such that each depressedportion is configured to engage at least a portion of the chassis slot640 and is configured to adapt to variations or movement of the chassisslot.

In some embodiments, cap 1100 may also comprise funnel portions 80.Funnel portions 80 are configured to guide the head of pin 1200 towardthe center of cap 1100 as pin 1200 is pushed into cap 1100 forengagement. As such, less accuracy is needed in the alignment of cap1100 and pin 1200 when the two approach each other for engagement.

In some embodiments, cap 1100 comprises two (more or less in alternativeembodiments) service slots 90 placed between funnel portions 80. Theservice slots 80 are configured to allow inward bending of funnelportions 80 upon pinching of the funnel portions. As such, funnelportions 80 act as releases for the wings 40. As the funnel portions 80collapse inward, so do wings 80. As such, releasing/pinching thereleases/funnel portions 80 disengages the wings from the chassis slotsurface and allows for a relatively easy removal of cap 1100 from thechassis slot.

In some embodiments, two service slots 90 may be evenly placed betweenthe two funnel portions 80 to facilitate the inward bending of funnelportions 80 (and wings 40).

In some embodiments, cap 1100 may also include crown portions 110. Crownportions 110 are configured to bend and then snap back into position asthe head of pin 1200 is inserted into cap 1100. Crown portions 110 areconfigured to engage a bottom surface of the head of the pin to lock thepin to the cap once the pin is inserted into the cap.

In some embodiments, small slots 120 are placed between crown portions110. The small slots may be configured to facilitate the bending ofcrown portions 110, such that the crown portions 110 can bend enough toallow enough bending for engaging the head of pin 1200. In someembodiments, the small slots 120 may be placed between the wings 40 andservice slots 90 for higher rigidity of cap 1100.

Pin 1200 is configured to engage and lock itself into cap 1100. Pin1200, in some embodiments, comprises pin head 170, which is tapered andis configured to guide the pin into the cap. A bottom surface 160 of thepin head 170 is configured to engage the top of crown portions 110 andto lock against them in order to prevent easy removal of the pin fromthe cap. Base disk 130 of the pin is configured to engage and lock intoa housing in a trim panel, for example.

Removable seal 1300 is configured to slide over pin 1200 through rim 250and to form a seal against the chassis surface upon the pin engaging andlocking into cap 1100. Umbrella 240, which is the portion of the sealconfigured to seal against the surface of the chassis, is attached tothe pin 1200 through central hub 250. In some embodiments, removableseal 240 may rest between base disk 140 and seal retainer 150, which areconfigured to keep the seal in place.

In some embodiments, seal retainer 150 may also be configured to pushagainst funnel portions 80. In such embodiments, when the pin and thecap are engaged and locked to each other, seal retainer 150 isconfigured to prevent funnel portions from collapsing and releasing thecap from the chassis slot.

It should be noted that having a removable provides several advantages.For example, the parts may be manufactured more easily and may be madefrom different materials—such as a harder and more rigid material forthe pin and a softer and more sealing material for the seal.

In some embodiments, the fastener clip may be manufactured withinjection molding using materials such as plastic nylon,polyoxymethylene (POM, also known as acetal), ABS, Polypropylene, rubbermaterials of various hardness, etc. It should be noted again thatdifferent materials may be used for the different parts of the fastenerclip.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is yet another perspective view of a fastener clip, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of cap 1100 as the cap may be installedthrough a slot 1500. Funnel portions 80 comprise funnel-tapered that canbe used to guide the head of a pin into the cap in cases where the pinmay not be perfectly aligned with the cap. Service slots 90 provideenough space to allow funnel portions 80 to collapse enough when pinched(from the bottom side) in order for the wings of the cap (not shownhere) to collapse to permit removal of the cap from the chassis 1500.

FIG. 6 better shows funnel portions 80 in the collapsed position, justprior to removal of the cap.

FIG. 7 shows cap 1100 after the cap has been removed from the slot inchassis 1500 using the pinching method described above.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an assembled fastener clip, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an assembled fastener clip, inaccordance with some embodiments.

Cap 1100 is installed in a slot in chassis 1500, with the wings 40 inthe extended position over the surface of chassis 1500, therebysupporting cap 1100 against the chassis. Base disk 140 of the pinattaches the pin to housing 1450 of the trim panel 1400. The pin hasbeen pushed through the cap 1100 and pin head 170 is secured to the capby crown portions 110, thereby securing trim panel 1400 to chassis 1500.

It is understood that the implementation of other variations andmodifications of the present invention in its various aspects will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and that the invention isnot limited by the specific embodiments described. It is thereforecontemplated to cover by the present invention any and allmodifications, variations or equivalents that fall within the spirit andscope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.

One or more embodiments of the invention are described above. It shouldbe noted that these and any other embodiments are exemplary and areintended to be illustrative of the invention rather than limiting. Whilethe invention is widely applicable to various types of systems, askilled person will recognize that it is impossible to include all ofthe possible embodiments and contexts of the invention in thisdisclosure. Upon reading this disclosure, many alternative embodimentsof the present invention will be apparent to persons of ordinary skillin the art.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentinvention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is notintended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to beaccorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novelfeatures disclosed herein.

The benefits and advantages that may be provided by the presentinvention have been described above with regard to specific embodiments.These benefits and advantages, and any elements or limitations that maycause them to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construedas critical, required, or essential features of any or all of theclaims. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or anyother variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted asnon-exclusively including the elements or limitations that follow thoseterms. Accordingly, a system, method, or other embodiment that comprisesa set of elements is not limited to only those elements, and may includeother elements not expressly listed or inherent to the claimedembodiment.

While the present invention has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it should be understood that the embodiments areillustrative and that the scope of the invention is not limited to theseembodiments. Many variations, modifications, additions and improvementsto the embodiments described above are possible. It is contemplated thatthese variations, modifications, additions and improvements fall withinthe scope of the invention as detailed within the following claims.

1. A fastener clip assembly comprising: a cap configured to be securedto a chassis through a chassis slot, wherein the cap comprises one ormore wings configured to collapse upon inserting the cap into thechassis slot and to expand upon full insertion, wherein the cap isconfigured to be secured to the chassis slot at least upon the wingsexpanding into the chassis slot; a pin configured to be secured to abody panel, wherein the pin is configured to be secured to the cap;wherein the cap comprises one or more releases, wherein the releases areaccessible from a side of the cap configured to receive the pin, whereinthe releases are configured, upon release, to collapse the one or morewings, wherein the cap is configured to be extracted from the chassisbased at least upon releasing the releases.
 2. The fastener clipassembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more releases form one or morefunnel portions, wherein the funnel portions are configured to guide thepin into the cap by centering the pin over the cap.
 3. The fastener clipassembly of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to, upon beinginserted into the cap, prevent the releases from releasing, based atleast upon at portions of the pin resting against the releases.
 4. Thefastener clip assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises oneor more service slots spaced between the one or more releases, whereinthe one or more
 5. The fastener clip assembly of claim 1, wherein thefunnel has a radius flaring outwardly from the center of the cap andconfigured to guide the pin toward a center axis of the cap.
 6. Thefastener clip assembly of claim 1, wherein the pin further comprises: abase disc configured to releasably detach from a corresponding housingon a body panel.
 7. The fastener clip assembly of claim 1, wherein thepin and the cap are injection molded.
 8. A method comprising: securing acap to a chassis through a chassis slot, wherein the cap comprises oneor more wings configured to collapse upon inserting the cap into thechassis slot and to expand upon full insertion, wherein the cap isconfigured to be secured to the chassis slot at least upon the wingsexpanding into the chassis slot; securing a pin to a body panel, whereinthe pin is configured to be secured to the cap; wherein the capcomprises one or more releases, wherein the releases are accessible froma side of the cap configured to receive the pin, wherein the releasesare configured, upon release, to collapse the one or more wings, whereinthe cap is configured to be extracted from the chassis based at leastupon releasing the releases.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the oneor more releases form one or more funnel portions, wherein the funnelportions are configured to guide the pin into the cap by centering thepin over the cap.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the pin isconfigured to, upon being inserted into the cap, prevent the releasesfrom releasing, based at least upon at portions of the pin restingagainst the releases.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cap furthercomprises one or more service slots spaced between the one or morereleases, wherein the one or more
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein thefunnel has a radius flaring outwardly from the center of the cap andconfigured to guide the pin toward a center axis of the cap.
 13. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the pin further comprises: a base discconfigured to releasably detach from a corresponding housing on a bodypanel.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the pin and the cap areinjection molded.